Dear Future Catcher

Closing out World Series 2018 is pretty bittersweet. This marks the closing of one amazing chapter for Blair with her Edge team & the beginning of what we hope to be an exciting new chapter for her with a new 14U team. When we accepted the starting catching position on this young 12U team, we knew the day would come quick where we would be one of 2 players that would have to age up at the end of the season. I couldn’t have imagined the enormous impact the coaches, players & families would have not only on Blair but on our entire family. I can honestly say, making the decision to play with 12U Edge this season was THE best decision we could have ever made! To say Blair has grown is an understatement! From day one it has be such a joy to watch her interact with this awesome group & grow immensely as a catcher/player but more importantly as a person. Thank you Heath for the opportunity you have given Blair this season. For having confidence in her & seeing in her things that sometimes she couldn’t see in herself. For taking the time to get to know her as a person & helping her achieve her goals, for giving her an opportunity to be surrounded by teammates & coaches who want to see her succeed! Thank you Chad & Tommy for working with & supporting Blair & for giving up your time to invest in these girls. And to some pretty special girls & their truly special Edge families, who welcomed us with open arms & accepted us from the get go. You are like no other, you have treated my girls as if they were your own & I can’t thank you enough. We will miss you terribly but treasure each of you & all the awesome memories we have made together! 
Dear Future Edge Catcher... you are one lucky girl, embrace the opportunity & don't take it for granted...be open to learn & slow to criticize, be the kind of teammate you want others to be to you...you really are a lucky girl! Many a tears have been shed this weekend & we couldn’t be more grateful to have had such a special team for Blair to grow with which would make  moving up so difficult. 

We love you Edge Family!

Jack In The Box Christmas ~ Looking Back...

I could see the tears welling up in her eyes, Blair wouldn't answer my questioning and once I turned around and met her sad eyes I knew just why. 

Broken.

Her eyes told me way more than her mouth was capable of expressing and it stung me right down to my vary core...

so broken...

She had been wearing the festive deer antlers that were found in Gands Christmas decorations, the ones that my mother for so many years carefully placed on Amazing Graces head covering her long ago damaged horns. Most know the significance of mothers special giraffe "Amazing Grace" with her leather fashioned horns that were damaged in shipment to Vardens, the boutique she once owned in my great great grandfathers old pharmacy. Those silly dress up antlers were Gands and somehow they were broken...Blair couldn't even form the words, reviling the culprit which had poured that ever so thoughtless salt on a wound that she was so determined to triage all by herself...determined that denial would somehow be most successful...

broken she was...

This year more than any other, I have such awareness of my desperate need to cling to each and every thing that makes me feel close to my mother. So often little silly, dumb stuff, junk even? It's really not the stuff if we're really being honest...For some crazy reason my thoughts were geared toward the idea that through all the pains and heart ache, my writings would sooner rather than later draw not from the utter anguish & despair of not having my mother, my best friend here this Christmas, but more so on a plethora of other topics that the Lord would so graciously lay upon my heart and filter through my hand...somehow that doesn't seem to be the case...the pressure that IS felt heavily upon the spaces that make up my heart are etched by Him and can only stem from the broken places, those sometimes hidden hurts tucked away in the crevasses of the heart, waiting their turn for the busting out to begin once the building gets to be too much...it's so much bigger than what you are capable of warding off on your own...

After moms death, the girls teachers recognizing their broken hearts daily, knowing the girls were "not quite themselves" offered great advice,
"statistics have shown that constantly having things to look forward to during great loss and grieving are monumental in the daily survival of those who have lost loved ones...from little things like game night or getting ice cream, to bigger things like vacations and holidays..."

With the holidays so quickly approaching my mind began to race, organizing the ideas bouncing about in my head with a mission of having something, anything to set in stone to look forward to ~ and it had to be set today! "Dressing" up a time that will surly be a challenge to face...offering a temporary peace thinking I had created the best "fix" possible in this sort of situation...

Since the morning of August 3rd when mom went to dance in the streets of heaven on those magic knees, I have been preparing myself & my family for the road ahead, for the difficulty that the future without mom, Gand, most certainly would bring...Christmas most specifically would be THE big one in a sea of endless "firsts" and countless life "adjustments"... My heart first responded with "nope, no Christmas thank you so much, not for us this year, I simply cannot." Oh how unrealistic, it was coming whether I like it or not...HE IS COMING and you better make room in your Inn! In preparation for such a guest, the plan was to do things different than years past, "dress it up, decorate" the things that put a hole in my heart and a pit in my stomach....make it so NOT like the Christmas's of past, to keep the things so familiar and the "like last year's" at arms length so as not to feel quite the intensity of the flame if not standing right there beside it... Not a bad plan at all BUT my advice, "dressing things up" is helpful but leave the "mask" off allowing the obvious the air it needs... it's far better to have what's lurking beneath in plane site, removing the surprise Jack In The Box reminder from popping up, startling you repeatedly when you least expect it! 

"Dressing" Christmas up in survival gear is in no way dismissing the joy to come from the arrival of such a savior, the king of all kings born in Bethlehem...., no just desperately clinging to His promises, staying the course the best I can...doing just as Mary & Joseph did, determine to find a place to lay their head, bring the most precious of lives into this world, for YOU, for ME...no matter there not being any room at the inn...

It did not change the storyline nor will it change the coming of THE one who would save us all...it did not break them...so we mustn't let it break us...
It was really crazy how writing sort of showed up on my doorstep a couple of years ago, not long after my accident, surgery and traumatic nerve injury...I truly have never been a writer and am certain my teachers would vouch for that! It's funny the side effects that result from such brokenness. As I look into Blairs sad eyes that day, I am catapulted back to that rough patch in my life, a patch that I still continue to recover from and never cease to reflect on, all the adjusting, learning, REFINING that was ignited and continues to grow as His never ending love for me burns, His hands so carefully doing the fashioning which became so heightened and obvious "Refine me Lord through the flame...". I learned that I could no longer tend to my own wounds, deny or try and "pull it together" on my own nor can Blair as she is so determined to do sitting there with tears spilling over...we have to have Him for the mending, there is no other way... so incredibly painful, physically yes! but often emotionally more strangling and spiritually so much grater than I could have ever imagined...Nothing, nothing compares to THIS void, this loss. "One of the most important relationships we have is the relationship we have with our mothers" This one is in a category of its own...such significance in the mending process... All which make for clinging even tighter for His offerings which are THE only thing that will make us truly whole. Taking our piece to Him "Just As We Are" so that HE can fix us! How amazing is that! "He WILL BE Our Peace." ~ Micah 5:5 
Despite the greatness of your pain, your losses or the challenges that haunt, it's still coming! HE IS COMING! The holidays, the "firsts"...it's ok to hold on so tightly to that which offers you comfort, the things that have filled you along life's way, it offers strength for the healing...there may not be room at the inn, but this baby IS coming and He saved you and He saved ME... His coming doesn't change our realities or cover up all the hurt that resides beneath, it reminds us of His mercy and never ending love... That He is constant...It reminds us that we don't have to decorate that which needs mending in hopes that the hurt will be more manageable. He will sustain us, comfort & love us, direct & guide...offer hope & Grace ~ Grace! Oh how delicious you are oh Heavenly Father! He is sure, not just during the holidays or periods of time..always & forever..."...and after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you." 1 Peter 5:10
 
Christmas Eve service was way more brutal than I could have ever anticipated. It's vital to surround yourself with those who love and support you, offer aid in the survival process...As Christmas Eve has now faded into Christmas morning we rejoice for a child is born! My heart is heavy as Brooke runs to me with excitement this morning, "mommy, mommy, what do you think Gand got for Christmas? What do you think she's up to today??"  I miss my mother so much. "I wonder what Piglet is doing," Thought Pooh. "I wish I were there to be doing it too." ~Winnie The Pooh   Thinking back to last Christmas is painful. My in laws were able to join us in KY for the first time and we had such an amazing time...I can still hear moms voice, her laughter in the living room like it was just yesterday...I never would have imagined it would be the last of so so many special Christmas's I was fortunate enough to spend with my mother..."A year ago, I would've never pictured my life the way it is now"  It's no secret death is difficult on everyone, most never know what to say but recently I think it was said best..."wow, what a lucky girl you are! I am so sorry for your loss but feel so happy for you that you were able to have had such a wonderful mother, such a unique relationship which makes missing her so unbearable."

Who God Made Me ~ Another Look Back

August 2014

"I am confident in who God made me, but certain I couldn't do this life ~ or be brave ~ on my own".  

  ~ Annie Downs 

My right mind tells me that God  Will. Not. Leave. Me. That I'll be ok, that I can do this. I just don't WANT to do this! 

I was certain it was THE time when the call came. It was late Sat. night & I had been home from the hospital an hour & had dozed off to sleep along side my sweet little bodies who had been waiting up for me. Their enthusiastic "hello" desperate to wash away the pain & anguish that was taking its tole on my body was refreshing yet honestly, this was a job that could only be accomplished by Gods so graceful hands. Upon every arrival through the doors of our home found the promise of love, safety & among many other things HUGS! The kind that doesn't let go...my urgent need is to change, take a shower & truly rid myself of the day before giving way to what I needed so desperately. Reminds me of the old commercial "shampoo, rinse, repeat...". A special friend in Tyler, TX shared this story with me after my accident/knee surgery a few years ago...I really like it... 

 

"There are going to be bad days during this journey...days when the pain is more than you can bear. Days when the sadness seems to be a low flying cloud that is sitting on top of you...days you just need to cry!" She says, "don't fight it! Fill the tub full of warm water & get in. CRY your eyes out &  have the biggest pity party, cry as long as the water is warm. When the water cools, start pulling yourself back together. Open the drain &  stay sitting in the tub until the last bit of water is gone & let everything go down the drain with the water...Get out, dry your eyes, dry yourself & get back in the fight!" 

I've never been a "It could be worse" person, so hearing this sounded fitting because for me this sort of thing works, it doesn't erase the facts, it doesn't lessen the anguish, the heart broken &  destroyed...for me I need to get things out, give way so that I can push forward & fight some more. At this point however, I'd be beyond pruned! I do not believe we should wallow, however I strongly believe everyone deserves the right to feel what they are feeling, validate what's happening & respect the pain so that you CAN get back in there & fight another day! 

We were shocked to come around the corner that early Sunday morning to be greeted by moms nurse Melanie, relief in her eyes she says "I am so sorry to have called so late but it was looking dim, her condition rapidly worsened & I didn't think we...we were able to stabilize her just in the last 10 min..." Pretty sure Kay & I were white as a ghost with bright red tired eyes...Melanie fill me in, let me know the plan for the rest of the night & pull some chairs for us to try & find rest in what little they had to offer. It was a long morning of treatments, adjustment "buzzing around" as mom would say ~ she didn't like "buzzing". Around 4 am they moved her, with great difficulty as she simply refused to stay consistently stable, long enough to move to the room we had been waiting for in Surgical ICU. They were forced to bag her the whole way...The "buzzing" like a well oiled machine, activity of nurses who continue to amaze &  function solely on experience & knowledge ~ teamwork AND clearly friendship only one can fashion in such an environment. I found laughter watching them take over for Melanie who was rapidly trying to "chart". so much reporting to take care of in order to move her to her new room ~ teamwork. So efficient yet comical in nature, appropriately in this kind general way that mom would have LOVED if she weren't under paralytic control, medications &  tubes...tho she just may have enjoyed those voices for all we know! 

Mom's rapid transportation to "the towers" beat Kay &  I by a long shot, so grateful I was by their quickness & ability to function under such intense emergent circumstances...the room in the new hospital took my breath away & begged for the ability to go back in time, change time...so reminiscent of June 17th, the beginning of this journey, exhaustion like nothing I had ever experienced was setting in & taking over. The ability to truly process way bigger than my brain could wrap around. I had no choice but to give way even if just for a quick moment to knock the edge off.  I resided there bedside, Kay side in yet another all too familiar hospital recliner. By 7 a.m. The team made their appearance, pure fatigue in their eyes too yet not missing a beat or leaving any stone unturned. Chest tubes needed, 2 chest tubes needed to be inserted in hopes that her condition, which had rapidly gone from bad to worse, could be turned around. All efforts were being made but it just wasn't working in our favor. 

It wasn't to be that 3rd day in August. 7 days ago today my worst nightmare became a reality. By 7 a.m. The team arrived ready to stay the course, leave no stone unturned but the fact was, her condition had gone from bad to worse & we were loosing ground...she had maxed out 4 pressures (blood pressure meds)  as well as the vent on 100% oxygen with stats dropping. It was obvious that IF something miraculous were to happen & she could make a positive turn, her quality of life wouldn't be what she had wanted, at least not for a vary long time. 

I have been in the position of making life or death decisions during this journey 1 too many times...my fear was being faced with another, THE biggest of them all... I prayed that God would spare me, that mom would spare me...that His will would be done...and it ultimately was. 

Before Chris could get there the nurse came in & let me know that she was really slowing down & she didn't think it would be much longer. She urged me to come be with her...there I stood holding her swollen hand...she looked nothing like mom, that bright smile & sparkle BUT peaceful nestled beneath the puffy "bear huger" (inflatable blanket to keep her warm & bring her temp up) like a bird nesting safely with its mama. I began to talk, thanking her repetitively for the amazing mother she had always been to me, reiterating as I often did that I would count myself the most blessed if I could even be a quarter of the woman, mother & friend she has always been to me...I asked her to watch over me, guide me & help me to be a better wife & mom...we shared some other things before one of the most special moments took flight. My sobbing lessened enough for me to compose myself & say, "...so listen,it's time... I want you to go now, take those magic knees & get up there! Go dance in the streets in heaven & show'em how it's done! Leave the pain behind & just go...I love you so much...it's ok, you can go..." And just like that, she peacefully was gone.  

"I am confident in who God made me, but certain I couldn't do this life ~ or be brave ~ on my own".  

  ~ Annie Downs 

I know that God will not give me more than I can handle...I know that HE alone will help me survive this no matter how excruciating, how impossible it feels nor the fact that at any given time I'm certain that I cannot take another breath...I have never missed my mother more, I've never wanted so badly to call her &  tell her of my distress, my pain &  know she will fix it...I know, she's always with me...but I need her literally with me...I don't want to do this... But guess what? I have to. So the tears will continue &  the road will the the most treacherous yet, but by faith I will look to Him & latch on to His understanding & promise... 

Your never ending love, support & prayers mean more than words can express. I need them now more than ever so please keep up the kindness as I face a long road of settling moms affairs once services are past & the dust begins to settle...I cannot thank each & every one of you enough & so hope I will have the opportunity to thank you in person! Much Love!

In HIM,

Sarah

Looking Back #2 ~ "Moving Day"

“BE PREPARED TO SUFFER FOR ME, in My Name. All suffering has meaning in My Kingdom. Pain & problems are opportunities to demonstrate your trust in Me. Bearing your circumstances bravely – even thanking Me for them-is one of the highest forms of praise…When suffering strikes, remember that I am sovereign & that I can bring good out of everything…accept adversity in My Name, offering it up to Me for My purposes. Thus your suffering gains meaning & draws you closer to Me. Joy emerges from the ashes of adversity through your trust & thankfulness. “ ~ Jesus Calling

Blair was only 4 months old when we decided to move back to Texas. Living on 5 acres with all its wide open space, the peace, the quiet that always amazed me because you felt so far away from the rest of the world yet you were in city limits! A lot of memories were fashioned in that house, so much growth…I had been so excited to plan out the babies room, anxiously ready to get started not long after getting word that we would be having our first child in June! I remember the walk up to the house as we brought our brand new baby girl home from the hospital! Mom beaming at the door awaiting our arrival, she in her usual self had worked hard, carefully preparing for this day, cleaning & organizing, making sure everything was just right when that long awaited day came! So many memories fashioned in that house…

The day the movers came I remember sitting in the middle of Blair’s bedroom, the room that we worked so hard decorating, where many a diapers were changed…where the rocking chair clicked back n forth in its rhythmical way as I held that 5 lb. 15 oz. baby at 3 a.m. offering comfort…I sat there like a child myself “crisscross applesauce” smack dab in the middle of her room & sobbed! My heart breaking wide open with all it’s contents slowly seeping out all over the place…How could I possibly walk away from our first house? The house that our first child came to....the room where that sweet girl drifted off to sleep night after night...With walls that offered our family protection through many a storms & rejoiced with all the "firsts", all the love that was shared there…and the countless holidays...As much as I wanted to move on to the next chapter, the thought of leaving it all behind was way too hard, too sad. Every crevice of the place housed so many special times...

Mom was always good at talking things out with me, encouraging me to see things from different directions …As if it were yesterday I remember her saying, “I know you are sad but so much awaits you all, new memories to be made…it’s natural & ok to be sad, but the memories that have been made in this house do not reside in the walls!  They are not things to be left behind, they are memories that you take with you, you carry them in your heart wherever you go, never leaving a single one behind.” She was so right, no matter the countless good-byes & moves that proceeded. 

We have worked incredibly hard going through moms apartment,packing her things & re-homing the things she enjoyed, held so dear. As you can imagine it has been brutal, heartbreaking & at times to much for one soul to bare... but healthy...necessary. Today & tomorrow begin the excruciating task of wrapping things up at her place. The movers will come Tuesday, most of her things packed up, her apartment bare, lacking all the color & life that resided on the walls of the place mom loved, her home. The dreaded time is nearing where the keys will be handed over & a final goodbye will take place as we close the door one last time with the reality that we no longer can just “go over to moms”.  The hollow echo as we shuffle around her place moving boxes about, bags of trash to go out..,"memories do not reside in these walls...they reside in the people, in our hearts to forever hold close..." Getting this part of her affairs will allow us to breathe a little more, to slow down a bit, to have an opportunity to start really grieving. A whole brand new time of reality & grieving. There is still SO much for me to do in handling her affairs but making sure her belongings are on a new journey touching, blessing someone else’s life will be a huge relief. I will be tempted to cling to the walls of that Morgan Street home, cling to the holidays spent around her table, the Easter Egg hunts in the back yard, the laughter, the tears…all the joy that was found in every destination she called home. There will no longer be a place to go to where my mother once sat reading her book or working on a project, watching her favorite show or selflessly living on me, on her grandchildren. There are no more “off to run another car load of boxes”…Realizing there would no longer be a place to go to that was HERS, where I could feel as close as I possibly could to my mother… I know she would surly remind me though, that she won’t be residing in those walls on Morgan Street, no she will be found in the bright smiles of her grandchildren, in  Shiner dog who offers us light and in the legacy that she has left…always, always, those memories will dig their roots deep down into our hearts,into so many she has touched & loved. “

…BE WILLING TO FOLLOW wherever I lead. Follow Me wholeheartedly, with glad anticipation quickening your pace. Though you do not know what lies ahead, I know; and that is enough! Some of My richest blessings are just around the bend: out of site but nonetheless very real…” ~ JC

I must hold tight to HIS promises, to He who continues to hold me up, carry me through the most difficult time of my life when so often it would be easier to lay down...He who never fails to fill air into my lungs with each sunrise, assuring that He will never, ever leave me!

I miss you more than words could ever express mom...I'd give anything to sit with you a while in that livingroom like we have done so many times,...to hunt eggs in you yard and OH how I'd pay good money to wrap my arms around your neck & hear your infamous  "a-p-p-l-e Pie" honk as you drive away. I love you mom!

In HIM,

Sarah

I always love hearing your insights, your stories & how God is working in your life so please feel free to share in the comment section below...you never know how it may impact another!!

Reality ~ Looking Back

"Hold My Hand, and walk joyously with Me through this day. Together we will savor the pleasures & endure the difficulties it brings...I am your Guide, as well as your constant Companion. I know every step of the journey ahead of you, all the way to heaven..." ~ Jesus Calling

The services have passed, a wonderful, wonderful 4 days spent with THE best of the best! Friends & family from close by or who have traveled from afar have meant more to me than words could ever try to express. So many times you all heard me comment on my thankfulness that my mother had some special friends, many of whom are & have always been "second moms" to me & my brother for as long as I can remember! Moms friends, those who love her so & all consider her one of their "best friends" never cease to amaze me! I stay incredibly overwhelmed, as I have pretty much from the beginning, by the incredible outpouring of love & devotion to my mother AND ME! To our whole family! Wow! Your healing hands, messages, cards & letters offer me continued comfort far more than you will ever know! Seeing the mail man makes things brighten a bit for me as his record, so stellar these past 3 months, offers me "hugs" nestled deep in that mailbag of paper! You all have really spoiled me! Your words, endless encouragement that are so desperately needed, will be needed for a long time to come...words my mother would have offered when tending to my ever so painful wounds...her incredible ability to offer healing with those beautiful glass blue eyes, warm smile & gentle way of offering advice that I may or may not want to hear at the time...it really didn't matter, I could feel her loving me & that was all that would really matter...

I would have paid good money for it Monday...everyday really! I have been anticipating the "setting in" that was inevitably making its way closer & closer...the time when denial packed up its bags & went on its way but not before leaving a pathway, preparing a guest room for its buddy REALITY to push right through our front door, dropping all it's luggage right there in the living room floor & exclaiming "wahoo, I'm Heeere!!! Let's get this show on the road!" 

"Today is one of those days when I wish I was a little girl & could climb into my mother's lap & cry until the hurt goes away"

Blanton, Julie & Collier were set to leave that afternoon, a time I had been dreading with everything I had in me, ok well since the day Julie arrived 2 weeks ago! I have this bad habit of "stealing trouble from tomorrow" so I pretty much had a pit in my stomach every time the thought of her leaving day crossed my brain. I really, really need to kick that habit & focus on enjoying each moment while I'm in it but how can you when you have SO many people in your life that make you feel... 

"How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard" ~ Winnie the Pooh 

We offered tears & waves on the driveway, Blair begging for them not to go... Mom always makes things feel better if she were here...she would have stollen the "yuck" from earlier in the day at the bank, the awfulness that was filling spaces in my heart while working on accounts, making arrangements & tending to the "must take care of's" that we're weighing me down...In the world I prefer I could just call & her voice would stop the "crazy" of emotions from various tasks that we're making your world spin out of control. REALITY! The reality was, she can no longer offer that to me here on earth. There is no calling mom on the phone to fix things or talk them out, there is no reaching out to hold HER hand or offer a hug on HER otherwise "yuck" kind of day...thankfully she no longer has "yuck" days but I sure do! For now, day after day! How can this be that one of my "first responders" (the people on ur list u go to first in need - just so u know this in no way discounts my husband! It's a different deal!) one of the people that make all the spinning stop, is the person making all the spinning happen! Yikes!! That's not a senerio we went over! Now, I am aware of how this whole process goes, " it'll get better",  I'll make it with all the tools she instilled in me & such loving bodies that reside around me, "it takes time"...I'll be ok? Eventually...! But guess what? I still don't want to do this! I'll never want to & I don't want to wait to see her again! All things I know God is SO accustomed to hearing!

It reminds me of 6 years ago when we had to re-home my dogs before Brooke was born, as many of you know, it was down right HORRIBLE & devastating! Awful! The boys were everything to me! They had lived through many a breeding seasons by my side & never failed me...Mom loved those dogs just the same, knitted them Christmas stalkings that I still have (Thanks Katie Haag!)...it was a bad deal but we had no choice, we had to let them go. In my grief Chris offered something I myself would have said, "I know it's hard now but I promise it will get better in time & won't hurt quite as much, doesn't help now but it it will get better...it also doesn't change how much you love them" My pain & hurt over losing them has never gotten better since that day on the curb! I may handle it better but it still hurts the same & REALITY tells me this is a way bigger beast than any I have ever battled in my entire life! Reality tells me that this pain & loss will never get better in time...but 

by the Grace & Mercy of a Lord so much bigger than anything any of us can fathom,  I will simply just handle it differently. 

I am pretty sure the other members of this dreadful new club I am now in feel the same, how could anyone possibly understand, especially with a relationship like ours? Yes others feel loss just as I have but has anyone known or experienced a relationship as such me & my mother? I pray with everything God has given me, that my girls will quickly respond "YES!!" One day - soon! The fact is, Jesus himself suffered the ultimate, He alone knows far more about this than any of us, as did Mary there at the foot of the cross. I cannot fathom her anguish watching her son hang there from those nails. For you. For me. For mom & so many others so that we might have life everlasting...so that we could cross each other's paths, be blessed SO by one another, so that we could over flow a church by 400 people, so that we could love SO deeply that the hurt from loss makes us physically sick...so that one day when all the pain & despair that floods thru right at this moment will one day all seem like nothing as I wrap my arms around moms neck ...

“Thus might I hide my blushing face while His dear cross appears —  dissolve my heart in thankfulness, and melt mine eyes to tears…."

My pain & suffering pale in comparison to the suffering & torture He endured to give us life, He died so that we may have life. I am reminded deeply that I must pick up my cross EVERY single day without fail, its vital!  Even on days such as these when it simply feels too overwhelming, too heavy...but His promise will carry me...

Luke 9:23 – And he said to [them] all, If any [man] will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

That while I hurt in a way I cannot describe, it is even more reason that the details of His death must linger constantly in my mind, at all times for without His sacrifice, we would be nothing. I often share snip it's from Ann Voscamp & a few other blogs, including my own...I love this statement from Ann Voscamps blog: 

"Take your broken heart, your shattered heart, and give thanks for the heart of God who bleeds with yours and this is how your broken, dis-membered heart is re-membered – when you remember to count the ways He loves. Count, like you’re taking your own pulse, like you’re determined to keep breathing...give thanks for Him in the midst of an almost hell, and your dis-membered heart re-members.."......For you. For all your regrets and for all your impossibles, for all that will never be and for all that once was, for all that you can’t make right and for all that you got wrong, for your Judas failures and your Peter denials and your Lazarus griefs, I offer to take the nails, the sharp edge of everything, and offer you myself because I want you, to take you, you in your wild grief, you in your anger and your disappointment and your wounds and your not-yet-there, you, just as you are, not some improved version of you, but you – I came for you, to hold you, to carry you, to save you.”

...and so, with my teary face toward Jesus I thank Him for mom and for life everlasting...with her...with Chris & the girls...with so many others I hold so dear...

...for if He hadn't loved us so much despite all our shortcomings, we wouldn't be so fortunate to meet again...

Thank you all for continuing to follow me! 

With so much love!

Sarah

The Hardest Thing I Ever Loved

...being a mom is the hardest thing I have ever loved!

Blair was just shy of her first birthday when my first Mothers Day rolled around. I remember it like it was yesterday, so hard to believe I was a mother, seeing things from such a different view! I remember my urgency as I held the phone tightly to my ear, anxiously awaiting moms comfy "hello?" On the other end of the line... "We must find time to stop and thank the people who make a 

difference in our lives" ~ JFK

"Mom? Happy Mothers Day, I had NO idea!" I blurted out.

A soft laugh rolled off her lips as she said, "No idea about what?" She questioned..."I knew you did so much for us but I had NO idea how much it REALLY takes to be a mom. I have always appreciated the countless things you have done for me & our family but now that I too am a mom, I have an even bigger appreciation...I am more grateful than ever for each and everything you have done and do for me...for all you put up with, smiled through and sacrificed for ~ THANK YOU! I am so undeserving, I had no idea what you REALLY have done for me all these years...If I could have know then what I know now..."

"MOTHER [muhth-er] noun

1. One person who does the work of twenty. For free. 
 (See also 'perfect', 'love', 'saint')"

And so the conversation went, giggling on her end of the phone...every wrong I had ever done to her, every unrecognized sacrifice she had so selflessly offered me had long been gone from her mind,everything rolled right off her back... "...you will do the same for your children, it's what Mother's do & we love each any every minute of it no matter what each day brings...it's a gift". She said... Boy was SHE a gift! 

"Love is taking a few steps backward maybe even more? To give way to the happiness of the person you love" ~ Winnie the Pooh

"One of the secrets of life is that all that is really worth the doing is what we do for others". ~ Lewis Carroll

Being a mother is truly the hardest thing I have ever loved! It's THE best & most important job no doubt! My heart aches so incredibly with each day that greets me because I miss her so much but I rejoice endlessly as I am one of the lucky ones to have had a mother so incredible. How blessed I am to have had a mother so special that missing her would be so painful & learning to live without her seems so impossible. "Sometimes I just wish you were here so I could tell you how much I need you and how hard every day has been without you." So privileged I have been to have had such a rare & special relationship with my mother that few will ever experience. It wouldn't hurt this bad if she hadn't loved me so much and taught me how to love so fully, to love just as Christ loves us. "You are loved more than you will ever know by someone who died to know you"

Its no surprise that I have dreaded this day, remembering what "this time last year" looked like as we spent Mother's Day together, eating a feast with mom just days before her surgery, joking that it was like "the last supper" for it would most likely be the last really good meal for a while! I could never have dreamt that that statement would turn out to be just that as we spent our last Mother's Day together - The Last Supper....

"Truly I tell you, I will not drink again from the fruits of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the Kingdom of God" Mark 14:24

While I am getting better at the pushing forward, trying to adapt to this new life without mom, "She is not where she was. She is not where she is going, but she was on her way" I still cannot wrap my brain around her absence. So often I have to remind myself that she's not just out of town...no, she is no longer with us in the flesh...I hear her in the wind chimes that were given to me in her honor, they ring so often outside my window...I find guidance in the pencil marks of the underlining she was known for doing so carefully in the books she gave and in others that lined her shelves. I flip the pages of the book I hold so close & often carry with me, the one she had given me just before her surgery, one of the only messages left for me...on the first page I find her familiar handwriting, 
"I actually bought this book for one Mothers Day when I lived in Tyler. My plan was to read it - as you will see - underline some things for you. So now you will finally get it and can share with your beautiful girls...I love you and so proud of the mother you are." ~ Spring 2014

"The capacity to adapt to change is a sign of emotional health and intelligence - without it we cannot grow."

I cannot replace her presence in my girls lives but I will never cease my efforts to be even half the mom & best friend to them as she has always been to me...praying over & for them, loving, teaching and supporting them just as my mother so selflessly did for me. I will celebrate her not only on Mothers Day but every day, keeping her memory constantly in the forefront, laughing to tears at the fun stories with our "Gand" and the wordage the girls found to be so funny, "Yella" (yellow), "Pilla" (pillow), "Cincinnata" and find comfort in the sweet times of being rocked to "I love you, a bushel and a peck...", to the treasured car talks, words of wisdom...And the countless other ways she loved on all of us! 

" I do not think we know our own strength until we have seen how strong love makes us...the strength of the human heart in general, greatly improved her spirit."

"A limb had fallen from the family tree that says grieve not for me remember the best times the laughter, the song, the good life I lived while I was strong!"

Happy Mother's Day Mom! I miss and love you more than I could ever express. To all the amazing mother's who daily pour their hearts and souls into their families, giving selflessly and loving to the depths...on this day and every day, you are celebrated with so much adoration!

  "All that I am or hope to be, I owe to my mother."  Abraham Lincoln 

As always, please feel free to share in the comment section below! I love to hear your stories & so glad you stopped by!

It's A Doozy!

"Winter Storm 2015 reports in of around 4-8" of snow are already being reported at the noon hour...rapid snow accumulation to continue through at least the next 2-4 hours with snow fall rates of 2+ inches per hour..."

Sitting all nestled under a comfy blanket, burrowed down deep into the big chair in our den like a baby bird nesting in the branches of an old tree I try to get some work done...a perfect spot here by the window...getting orders in and finishing up paperwork, trying to keep focused on a list of things that need to be attended to...so distracted I keep finding myself as the pouring of snow sends me drifting off into thought... It's really quite amazing in its intensity, often blowing sidwase, the breeze shifting suddenly sending flakes falling into a rhythmical sort of dance then going on its way catching a wild ride on a gust of cold winter wind...even with the chatter and giggles of the girls playing in the other room, I enjoy the quit of snow falling on the other side of that pane of glass... It has this way about it that pulls at your heart, catapulting you back to childhood, preparing you for the childlike silliness that is sure to come as the day progresses and the kids lure you to play in its awesomeness.

I got to thinkin about everyone's panic in the days that preceded this one. A mad rush to empty the shelves of the grocery store, sure that the world would stop...many complaining of the neusance of such weather and the desperate need for spring to show its presence and never ever leave! In all honestly I love spring and everything it brings with it but truly I felt like the minority, looking forward to this historical winter storm that was inching our way. For one thing, in the land of motherhood you have no choice at all but to sucume to the adventures and crafts, living room dance parties that aid in the attempt to ward off cabin fever! There is a specialness during such a time that builds memories that will surly be passed on through your kids and their kids kids...if not I wouldn't be daydreaming of the days of old when I was my girls age awing at the wonder of Mother Nature! Sure I was born in Texas and spent such a large chunk being raised in its warmth but my brother and I were blessed to have experienced many a vacations to the gorgeous mountains of Colorado to ski with numerous other families where we swam in outdoor heated pools and made snow ice cream with cheeks turned so rosy by windburn from hours spent on the sloaps! The high school days snowed in an Atlanta basement with all my beasties laughing and playing, sure we'd never have to go back to school! Or the last huge snow that Lexington experienced in the 90's where my aunt, cousin, mom and myself stayed hunkered down, reading under our blankets for days on end, telling stories and laughing with tears in our eyes...

Sure the inclement weather causes trouble, inconveniences and hazards...I'd be lieing if I said I don't worry about Chris on those dangerous, shoulder less roads, out there braving the cold in this early breeding season, because I do and I pray for him continuously until he graces us back home again safe sound. I appreciate the wonderment of the season and feel gratitude for the little things in life that it stirs in me...for encouraging me to pause a moment, delight in it, play in it and fashion many memories in it...we mustn't fret too much, the changing of seasons is upon us, Spring not far off in the distance... After all that furry little varment did see his shadow and the weatherman said we have less than 30 days of winter to go! 

Does the snow mesmerize you? What does it stir in you? I'd love to hear from you so do share in the comment section below! It's such fun hearing the many memories that make up the story of you! 

The Vine & The Branches

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; Apart from me you can do nothing"

 John 15:5

I have been reflecting on so much since our arrival back in the Bluegrass State, transitioning into a new year and looking forward to the blessings I am certain 2015 has to offer me and my family.

Yes I am highly aware that the loss of my mother and the pain encompassing me during by far THE worst periods of time in my life, has been incredibly present on the pages of the Caring Bridge as well as my blog. In the small amount of time that makes up the days of 2015 thus far, I am truly amazed at the things God is revealing, uncovering as I look toward the coming year. In the recent post you have heard me express my desire to clarify the direction for which I feel my blog is going and that which draws from the deepest parts of me, assuring you that my words will not forever feel solely centered around the loss of my mother...in preparing my next post it hit me, like discovering that last puzzle piece in a 2000 piece puzzle falling perfectly into place, bringing the picture fully into focus! I absolutely love when the Lord does that, so clear as if He was seated right there beside me on my bench handing over wisdom like the passing of a tray! The message of John 15:5 so redundantly making its presence in my every day, so much so that I now chuckle looking skyward smiling as I acknowledge Him and offer a whisper of thanksgiving.

"Let your roots grow down into Him, and let your lives be built on Him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness."

The vine and the branches...

Remain In Me...

Moving forward from this day my discovery is quite simple! Yes the pain has a long road yet to travel, I still have too many days where I feel I cannot breath...in my life I have encountered great tragedy, a story most of you have shared from the beginning & triaged the wounds of that which make up the broken pieces of your own stories...but here's the thing, we must, MUST have tragedy, loss, pain in order to learn & grow into the person God is molding us to be! We must put our full trust in Him, the Vine because amazing stuff comes, stemming  from the rubble, the dark & painful...we cannot have one without the other! HE is the Vine, WE are the branches...in this life we will suffer but through great suffering comes the branching of great things, life experiences that grow us in Him, without it we cannot bear fruit! For me, this thing called grief is far from done, there is so much healing left to do...BUT at least I can see the branches! Knowing that they are there comforts me, it offers something to hold on to, swing from... "Storms make trees take deeper roots..."  I am learning that we mustn't try to explain ourselves or the duration for which our pain stays present or try & validate the struggles that pave the story of us, yet embrace the opportunity the Lord has offered us to use our trials to birth new healthy limbs, limbs that not only make up the chapters of our stories but more importantly, witness & work in the lives and stories of those around us!

The Vine...

While I'd give anything on this planet not to have a reason for such learning, I am incredibly grateful AND encouraged that He is using what has happened in my life, so that all these awesome and growth worthy things that the Lord has in store for me, could be place at my feet! I'd trade it in a heartbeat if only I could, but I can't so I feel honored to serve Him in such a way! There is no doubt that many a branches, of every variety are in store for my future, and yours too! 

...the Branches... 
 "Remain in me & I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me."                                                                                  John  15:4

I have been chewing on the idea of changing the name of this blog, with each "God Wink" I have encountered.  I consider The Vine & Branches, hear the ringing of "Remain In Me" in the swelling of my heart and feel certain that my mother IS among the first of my "Followers"! "You sweet sweet soul high above in the trees, always watching over me..." I think of the parallel with mom & the Vine & Branches of John 15:5 ...I have been left to carry on her legacy and I will forever strive to be a strong branch of her, mothering my sweet girls & working as hard as I can as a wife & mother she would be proud of! Growing great branches and watching all the blessings that come from it! "...yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with branches that the birds can perch in its shade." Mark 4:32 

Some have shared that they find difficulty in reading my writings, it is far too painful after such a loss which I fully understand. My prayer is that the trail may lead you on this journey with me where one day all our hearts will feel a little lighter...I am anxious to see where this fresh road, full of adventure leads me and while I cannot promise it will always be a smooth ride, I do hope you will come along! I feel incredibly blessed to have the opportunity to branch limbs that grown strong through the stages of my healing and be the fortunate messenger of all the goodies God has in store! In the distance I see a plethora of special "first" that I am eager to tackle and excited to share with you! A new day is here, on this day it is a beautiful snow covered one, full of sunshine and hope.  "Life's a ride, You've gotta buy a ticket, hang on tight and keep going around 'til they kick ya off...We must take every opportunity to make the most of our vary remarkable life."~ Curly Girl

I AM the VINE...
YOU are the Branches...

"And the wind said, may you be strong as the oak, yet flexible as the birch...May you stand as tall as the redwood, live gracefully as the Willow and may you always bear fruit all your days on earth."

I always love to hear from you so do feel free to leave messages in the comment section below if you like!

Hi Friends!

Hi Friends!

I am so excited to have you join me in kicking off 2015 on my official blog page! You have been by my side from the beginning and for that I am incredibly grateful! While I have blogged on this page for some time, only in the past 5 months has God really, really reviled His purpose for me through the words that cover these pages! You all have loved on me me and my family, prayed for us and encouraged me to continue my writing and I couldn't do it without you!

I would absolutely love for you to "follow" me if you would like by clicking the Follow icon by my Profile to the right side of the blog page (if in mobile mode, scroll to the bottom and click web version. It will then list all the archived post along with additional information along the right side of the page). If you are a Google member sign in or sign up free and log in. It should give you instructions from there. It seems that there have been some issue for some when trying to leave a message in the comments as well as tryig to "follow" my page, so sorry! I have been working really hard at trying to figure it out as it shouldnt be so hard! Please hang with me and thank you for your patience!! If anyone has any advice or direction on how people can comment & interact easier on this site, do share!! Thank you!!

Sarah

She Called Me Jane!

A Happy Happy New Year to you!

As we make our way down these familiar Texas roads, my heart grows heavy with each milage sign that indicates the nearing of the wonderful town of Tyler, TX, one of moms most favorite places to call home during her rich life. The tears more steady now which is so hard to believe considering the impressive tear production I had been experiencing for close to an hour preceding the first Tyler sign.. like it was keeping up with the rhythm of the tires hitting the uneven pavement beneath the car, the tears flowed down my cheeks...

There is simply not a timeframe for which time spend with my mother didn't produce such amazing memories, story telling and laughter! As so many of you continuously tell me, "everyone felt like Jane was their best friend!". Her time and friendships in Tyler was no exception. I absolutely loved visiting mom in Tyler...I simply enjoyed visiting here anywhere and would give anything in this planet to pull up at her door at this vary second.

The drive home from Texas is always longer, far less exciting. Getting back to reality...In times of past id be txting mom to let her know our status and ETA , thanking her again for the many things she would take upon herself to do at my house while we were gone so that my life might be even a smidge easier upon my arrival back. It was always like Christmas morning walking in our door! The last time we were met with a huge "Welcome Home I Missed You" sign! That big smile and warm hug will not be there this go around. Her banner will not hang, blocking the entrance to our home but the things I hold on to so dearly that make me feel the closest I can to her will greet me. Memories made while away that would surly please her...It will be the same hard I face each and every day...but I keep constant the blessing I have in having something so unique and special that makes this process so painful...

As I walked into my brothers kitchen the other day my sister-in-laws friend stopped in mid conversation, looking at me in a sort of spooked way she pulled me into a tight hug...it was New Years Eve and upon greeting her for the first time, she said to me, "You are Jane! You are!" She said, "I loved your mother so much...she was the best and I miss her so much..." She went on, "she was here for this party the last time I saw her...when you came out and I saw your face (she began to tear up & cover her mouth) well I saw your mother, I saw Jane...you are every bit your mother...I know how sad you are but oh my she is so in you!" WOW! She called me Jane all night!

So, the good news is, I am still here to post another post. At this moment oxygen is flowing through my lungs and I am certain that the blood is flowing through my vessels but my heart is no closer to healing or mending. I for some reason feel the great need to reassure you that my blogs will not forever revolve around grief...I'm not 100% sure they always are but still...God is doing and continues to do so much through the details He lays on my heart...to deny His request would be disobedience...so amazing the lessons and eye openers that kick off of life changing events...I so appreciate your staying the course and walking this walk along side me, along side one another...

So with the New Year being here, I felt it was as good a time as any to officially get the ball in motion toward moving my Caring Bridge post to my official blog location:

sarah-sarahsmithphotography.blogspot.

com

If you haven't already, please please follow or become a "follower". If you have trouble let me know in the comments below so I can help! Please leave a comment in the comment section below & let me know you've been here! It's so difficult for me to gauge my readers and their ability to access blog post. 

May 2015 bring you nothing but peace and happiness, friendship and more love than your heart can hold! Much love and hugs!

In HIM,

Sarah

Jack In The Box Christmas

I could see the tears welling up in her eyes, Blair wouldn't answer my questioning and once I turned around and met her sad eyes I knew just why.

Broken.

Her eyes told me way more than her mouth was capable of expressing and it stung me right down to my vary core...

so broken...

She had been wearing the festive deer antlers that were found in Gands Christmas decorations, the ones that my mother for so many years carefully placed on Amazing Graces head covering her long ago damaged horns. Most know the significance of mothers special giraffe "Amazing Grace" with her leather fashioned horns that were damaged in shipment to Vardens, the boutique she once owned in my great great grandfathers old pharmacy. Those silly dress up antlers were Gands and somehow they were broken...Blair couldn't even form the words, reviling the culprit which had poured that ever so thoughtless salt on a wound that she was so determined to triage all by herself...determined that denial would somehow be most successful...

broken she was...

This year more than any other, I have such awareness of my desperate need to cling to each and every thing that makes me feel close to my mother. So often little silly, dumb stuff, junk even? It's really not the stuff if we're really being honest...For some crazy reason my thoughts were geared toward the idea that through all the pains and heart ache, my writings would sooner rather than later draw not from the utter anguish & despair of not having my mother, my best friend here this Christmas, but more so on a plethora of other topics that the Lord would so graciously lay upon my heart and filter through my hand...somehow that doesn't seem to be the case...the pressure that IS felt heavily upon the spaces that make up my heart are etched by Him and can only stem from the broken places, those sometimes hidden hurts tucked away in the crevasses of the heart, waiting their turn for the busting out to begin once the building gets to be too much...it's so much bigger than what you are capable of warding off on your own...

After moms death, the girls teachers recognizing their broken hearts daily, knowing the girls were "not quite themselves" offered great advice,
"statistics have shown that constantly having things to look forward to during great loss and grieving are monumental in the daily survival of those who have lost loved ones...from little things like game night or getting ice cream, to bigger things like vacations and holidays..."

With the holidays so quickly approaching my mind began to race, organizing the ideas bouncing about in my head with a mission of having something, anything to set in stone to look forward to ~ and it had to be set today! "Dressing" up a time that will surly be a challenge to face...offering a temporary peace thinking I had created the best "fix" possible in this sort of situation...

Since the morning of August 3rd when mom went to dance in the streets of heaven on those magic knees, I have been preparing myself & my family for the road ahead, for the difficulty that the future without mom, Gand, most certainly would bring...Christmas most specifically would be THE big one in a sea of endless "firsts" and countless life "adjustments"... My heart first responded with "nope, no Christmas thank you so much, not for us this year, I simply cannot." Oh how unrealistic, it was coming whether I like it or not...HE IS COMING and you better make room in your Inn! In preparation for such a guest, the plan was to do things different than years past, "dress it up, decorate" the things that put a hole in my heart and a pit in my stomach....make it so NOT like the Christmas's of past, to keep the things so familiar and the "like last year's" at arms length so as not to feel quite the intensity of the flame if not standing right there beside it... Not a bad plan at all BUT my advice, "dressing things up" is helpful but leave the "mask" off allowing the obvious the air it needs... it's far better to have what's lurking beneath in plane site, removing the surprise Jack In The Box reminder from popping up, startling you repeatedly when you least expect it!

"Dressing" Christmas up in survival gear is in no way dismissing the joy to come from the arrival of such a savior, the king of all kings born in Bethlehem...., no just desperately clinging to His promises, staying the course the best I can...doing just as Mary & Joseph did, determine to find a place to lay their head, bring the most precious of lives into this world, for YOU, for ME...no matter there not being any room at the inn...

It did not change the storyline nor will it change the coming of THE one who would save us all...it did not break them...so we mustn't let it break us...
It was really crazy how writing sort of showed up on my doorstep a couple of years ago, not long after my accident, surgery and traumatic nerve injury...I truly have never been a writer and am certain my teachers would vouch for that! It's funny the side effects that result from such brokenness. As I look into Blairs sad eyes that day, I am catapulted back to that rough patch in my life, a patch that I still continue to recover from and never cease to reflect on, all the adjusting, learning, REFINING that was ignited and continues to grow as His never ending love for me burns, His hands so carefully doing the fashioning which became so heightened and obvious "Refine me Lord through the flame...". I learned that I could no longer tend to my own wounds, deny or try and "pull it together" on my own nor can Blair as she is so determined to do sitting there with tears spilling over...we have to have Him for the mending, there is no other way... so incredibly painful, physically yes! but often emotionally more strangling and spiritually so much grater than I could have ever imagined...Nothing, nothing compares to THIS void, this loss. "One of the most important relationships we have is the relationship we have with our mothers" This one is in a category of its own...such significance in the mending process... All which make for clinging even tighter for His offerings which are THE only thing that will make us truly whole. Taking our piece to Him "Just As We Are" so that HE can fix us! How amazing is that! "He WILL BE Our Peace." ~ Micah 5:5
Despite the greatness of your pain, your losses or the challenges that haunt, it's still coming! HE IS COMING! The holidays, the "firsts"...it's ok to hold on so tightly to that which offers you comfort, the things that have filled you along life's way, it offers strength for the healing...there may not be room at the inn, but this baby IS coming and He saved you and He saved ME... His coming doesn't change our realities or cover up all the hurt that resides beneath, it reminds us of His mercy and never ending love... That He is constant...It reminds us that we don't have to decorate that which needs mending in hopes that the hurt will be more manageable. He will sustain us, comfort & love us, direct & guide...offer hope & Grace ~ Grace! Oh how delicious you are oh Heavenly Father! He is sure, not just during the holidays or periods of time..always & forever..."...and after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you." 1 Peter 5:10
 
Christmas Eve service was way more brutal than I could have ever anticipated. It's vital to surround yourself with those who love and support you, offer aid in the survival process...As Christmas Eve has now faded into Christmas morning we rejoice for a child is born! My heart is heavy as Brooke runs to me with excitement this morning, "mommy, mommy, what do you think Gand got for Christmas? What do you think she's up to today??"  I miss my mother so much. "I wonder what Piglet is doing," Thought Pooh. "I wish I were there to be doing it too." ~Winnie The Pooh   Thinking back to last Christmas is painful. My in laws were able to join us in KY for the first time and we had such an amazing time...I can still hear moms voice, her laughter in the living room like it was just yesterday...I never would have imagined it would be the last of so so many special Christmas's I was fortunate enough to spend with my mother..."A year ago, I would've never pictured my life the way it is now"  It's no secret death is difficult on everyone, most never know what to say but recently I think it was said best..."wow, what a lucky girl you are! I am so sorry for your loss but feel so happy for you that you were able to have had such a wonderful mother, such a unique relationship which makes missing her so unbearable."

A Proper Boat

"Until one has loved an animal, a part of ones soul remains unawakened."

I found this quote scribbled in mom's handwriting on a torn off piece of paper as I was looking through one of her boxes...it really made me smile thinking back on her love of ALL of our pets throughout the years. Most recently mom was roommates with what was originally my cat Scotch. Chris had gone far & beyond the call of duty to ensure that I would be the proud parent of that beautiful kitten when we started dating well over 15 years ago. Mom & dad let Scotch come "stay" with them one fall & somehow she never came home! In the years to follow she offered mom great companionship & comfort. We often joked at how she must sound conversating with Scotch in her apartment as if she were a person! The truth is, our pets offer far more enjoyment & security to our lives than we may give them credit for. Scotches oh so full & happy life sadly came to an end last spring which was difficult for mom but the idea of Scotch suffering would have been way harder on her. I can only imagine the reunion mom is having with ol Scotch girl now!

There is no doubt in my mind that God was an animal lover...There are around 120 different species of animals that are mentioned in the bible, I'm sure even more? In the story of Noah's Ark, God's heart had been filled with grief & pain over the earths corruption, man's wicked, evil ways which was His reasoning for bringing on the flood, to destroy corruption man had brought on the earth HE created. God tells Noah, who was a man known among his peers to be blameless & righteous, He said "I am going to bring flood waters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish."... (Genesis)

As the holiday season has swept right in like the 60 mile an hour winds outside my window this morning, I have a chuckle at the annoyance of a song that has been stuck in my head for quite some time now. I have had a rather popular tune dancing about in my mind & when the song softly rang in my ears it "ah ha'd" me, so overwhelmingly stilled me as it played in last Sunday's church service, "...Bowing here I find my rest, without you I fall apart, you're the one that guides my heart..." Shaking my head looking up to the ceiling thinking to the Lord, constantly amazed at how well He knows me...both of us aware of the chorus that will soon fall in the pattern of lyrics and how significant those lyrics are...

"Lord, I need you, Oh, I need you, every hour I need you..."

The floods of worldly heartache & pain reek havoc on so many hearts this time of year, playing the "old records" of that which hangs the distorted decorations of times in the past that made our world look so different, times that have paved the road for our today and make up that which we will be our future experiences....

Many people find that the most joyous time of year is also a time when they feel most like they are drowning...like the flood waters are rising faster than they can build a proper boat...In so many cases, this is a secret more people than not are keeping, wearing themselves out treading water, fearing their breath will be taken if their head should fall beneath the surface in a time where they should be singing praises of joy and thanksgiving. Would you believe that some of the seemingly happiest people, who often appear to be covered in strength, all put together, people are the most likely to be the ones most weighted down by the guilt, burden and the lonesome that comes during the holidays?

 " Lord, I need you, Oh, I need you, every hour I need you, my one defense, my righteousness, Oh, God how I need you..."

It's vital to remember the things that keep your boat afloat! By knowing the effort at which we struggle to keep OUR boats afloat, so can we relate to our brother who could use the help with their boat too! How the lonesome should lessen when going it "Two by Two"?!

 "Everyone is-in one way or another-fighting a hard battled....people for the most part, are doing the best they can with their resources and circumstances..."
~ Alexandra Stoddard

Let us be challenged to soften our hearts and be more forgiving of the hurts that threaten our boat, not only to that of others but more importantly, offer far more grace to ourselves!

"...be kind and patient with yourself...When you are struggling, be with loved ones who help you smile & laugh through your tears....Remember what heals you...know that others want to heal themselves too..." ~AS

What is it that brings the warmth into your heart? What is it that will make the holidays, the next hurdle more bearable? What warms your heart and eases your mind, covers your heart with peace and allows the love of another of Gods living souls to offer compassion and encouragement...what will help give YOU permission to offer it to yourself?

There are many a smiles, laughter & memories being made too during challenging times, reminiscing, comforting and encouraging are found...the miraculous found when people come together and love because that's what love does, it keeps on going...

It's ok to be sad or frightened by rough waters that may toss your boat about, BUT Gods promise is sure!

"But God remembered Noah & all the wild animals & livestock that were with him in the ark..."
 (Gen. 8:1)

The land became completely dry...

God said, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me & you & every living creature with you...I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me & the earth...never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life..." (Gen 9:12,13)

In the days before & after moms funeral there was talk of getting another dog. Blair had wanted a dog in the worst way & the time simply hadn't been right so she continued to ask & pray...It wasn't long after the services were over that we agreed the time was right, getting a dog would offer much light in a time of such darkness. I joked that mom sure must have hit the door running upon her arrival into heaven, she knew how much we wanted a dog & had so wanted one for us too!

As I look at Shiner with his silly, fun personality I feel Him constantly comfort me. Whether in Shiner's ability to always make us smile and laugh or when his sweet little face adorned with expressive eyebrows tilts in concern then carefully licks the tears from your checks as if to say, "it's ok please don't cry"...such a good puppy he has been, chewing only his own toys & learning all sorts of clever new dog tricks...of course he has a dogs number 1 quality of shaking that little nubby upon our arrival home and loving so unconditionally...relaxed by nature making him such a snuggle bug all to switch gears on a dime zipping and darting around the living room in his playful puppy way! If I could have a penny for every time I tell him, "mom would absolutely adore you, I mean just love you to bits!!".... I am picturing too of the remnance of moms red lipstick marks that would be left behind on shiners white mustache from the countless smooches she was known for offering her special canine companions! He comforts me.

"God sent angels down to earth in the form of dogs with notes saying don't judge, just love...they ate the notes but they keep trying to deliver the message"

So on this thankful day of days I set MY boat in the water in thanksgiving for so so much! For a mother who labored for me and helped fashion my own boat so that I would be prepared to sail it...NOT by myself but with those around me who love me and support me...with a mighty captain, His reminder of HOPE never far and His promises so true that it will be a beacon on one of my most difficult days.

"Lord, I need you, oh, I need you, every hour I need you...my one request, my righteousness, oh, God how I NEED YOU..."

May your hearts be filled with love and thanksgiving on this day, keeping the memory and love of those who have impacted us SO greatly at the forefront of our minds at all times and may we reach out and touch the lives of those who are sad, hurting, feeling forgotten or needing to feel the precedence of love and comfort.

I cannot begin to express my thankfulness to you, to so many for your love and support as I continue on this journey without my mother. You encourage and lift me more than you could ever know!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

In HIM,
Sarah


I always love to hear your feedback and/or experiences so please feel free to share in the comment section below!